Apple and Samsung end their patent battles outside the U.S.

posted by Alan F. / Aug 05, 2014, 10:45 PM

Apple and Samsung end their patent battles outside the U.S.

Quick. Look outside the window. See any pigs flying? The reason we ask, is that Samsung and Apple have officially announced that they are ending all patent battles between the two rivals, outside of the U.S. That eliminates legal action between the two tech titans in Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Netherlands, the U.K., France and Italy.

This could be the first step toward an agreement that will end years of patent battles between the two. Earlier this year, Apple was awarded $930 million for the first U.S. patent suit from 2012. The second U.S. suit, which ended this past May, resulted in an award for Apple in the amount of $119.6 million. Samsung picked up a jury award of $158,400.

In February, head-to-head meetings between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung mobile chief Shin Jong-Kyun, held in an attempt to reach a settlement before the second U.S. patent trial, did not lead anywhere. Apple and Samsung do happen to be business partners. Samsung is believed to be manufacturing the upcoming Apple A9 chip. The company held the job of producing the Ax for years, until Apple decided to switch to TSMC for the A8, because of the legal battles between itself and Samsung. Samsung is also responsible for some of the glass employed on Apple's iPad tablets.

One legal expert, Villanova law professor Michael Risch, said that both Samsung and Apple apparently decided that the mixed results that they were getting in overseas court battles were not worth the money or effort to continue them. He also pointed out that since there was no cross-licensing deal announced, this could just be a breather before the suits start up again. Risch doesn't see any end to the U.S. suits for now.

"Apple and Samsung have agreed to drop all litigation between the two companies outside the United States. This agreement does not involve any licensing arrangements, and the companies are continuing to pursue the existing cases in U.S. courts."-Apple, Samsung statement

source: Bloomberg

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26 Comments

1. Busyboy unregistered

When the Alpha gets released, Apple will begin yet another billion dollar lawsuit. Seems as though Samsung never learns..

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 10:48 PM 1

2. vincelongman

Posts: 5601; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

IMo the Alpha looks more like the Lumia 930 than anything from Apple

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 10:52 PM 2

9. ravi5695

Posts: 75; Member since: Feb 11, 2011

Doesn't matter what alpha looks like.. The thing is it looks GREAT...

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:17 PM 4

10. tedkord

Posts: 17076; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Didn't you know? Everything was created by Apple.

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:23 PM 5

20. RebelwithoutaClue

Posts: 5482; Member since: Apr 05, 2013

And on the seventh day, Apple took a rest....

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 2:14 AM 0

22. naveen000can

Posts: 4; Member since: Jul 23, 2014

And you correct

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 9:04 AM 0

4. kryme

Posts: 467; Member since: Oct 24, 2013

lol u really think after samsung make 10billion and only had to pay bk 1 billion they r gonna stop???

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 10:55 PM 1

6. Busyboy unregistered

Samsung shouldn't be worried about the money loss. They should be worried about how their reputation will be greatly diminished which will inevitably result in loss of sales. Low sales = small profit

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:02 PM 0

5. galanoth

Posts: 428; Member since: Nov 26, 2011

The Alpha design is just a GS2 with a metal frame around the outside. Chamfered edges around a metal band were not created by Apple. The back looks nothing like an iPhone back. The band around the phone also isn't just straight like an iPhone. It has a curve on the corners. (According to leaked pictures).

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:00 PM 1

7. Busyboy unregistered

Remember how the S2 was included in Apple's demand for Sammys ban? They won FYI so if Sammy was wise they wouldn't mess around yet again.

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:04 PM 0

8. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

Yeah don't think I can trick myself into believing the huge lie that Samsung's not blatantly and boldly copying Apple here. Chamfered edges around a metal band of a rectangular phone with spaces for external cellular and wifi signal? If you honestly believe that then wow, just wow.

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:14 PM 1

11. Busyboy unregistered

Ugh. This phone screams iPhone 6. 1. iPhone is all metal and now all of a sudden Samsung chips in and uses all metal frame and metal like back 2. iPhone is 4.7in and now Sammy does 4.8in, how ironic? 3. Screen resolution is nearly identical 4. The home button is positioned the same and is also a finger scanner 5. The usb charging port is located exactly where the iPhone charger is, and uses usb 2 to look nearly identical to the iPhone port 6. Speakers are also positioned in the same place Now I'm not at all saying these points are realistic and plausible but I'm sure Apple will use these points to target Sammy

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:23 PM 0

14. willard12 unregistered

1. After the color "gold" was copied, now metal frames are. So, iPhone 5c should be banned. HTC has highlighted samsung's lack of metal, not Apple. Metal was inevitable 2. Galaxy S4 is 4.9 inch. Galaxy Alpha, is midrange and has the size of several of their mid range devices. You selectively ignored the 5.5 in iPhone, directly between the 5.3 and 5.7 inch Notes. 3. Samsung makes the screen for most Apple devices. The resolution is typical of most of Samsung's midrange devices. When you make screens for both, they may be similar. 4. Home button is the exact same since Samsung F700, circa 2006. Released 1 month after iphone. 5. Really? 6. Really? I didn't know it was possible to copy rumors. But, since you say it's possible, you have to admire a company's ability to capture a design, assemble parts, manufacture, mass produce, and ship in a matter of weeks.

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:54 PM 4

25. cheetah2k

Posts: 2149; Member since: Jan 16, 2011

BusyBoy just got owned

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 5:29 PM 0

19. TheGenius

Posts: 339; Member since: Mar 06, 2014

Listen you dumb a55hole M7 was metal .. m8 was metal .. lenovo has metal phones Iphone aint a mofo who has patent rights to metal. Talking about screen res and size.. apple is fukcing copyung s3. You get that bimbo? Usb port ? Seriously? For last so many years .. usb port has been where it is. Oh yeah .. speakers.!!! Position of speakers is patented by apple it seems.!

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 12:53 AM 1

26. uzimafioso

Posts: 467; Member since: Jul 15, 2014

Right you are. Moto V3 was metal. So was LG shine. Then again Nokia e72 was metal and a hundred other smartphones. The ugliest metal phone i ever saw was the black iPhone 5. iphone is currently copying s3 and note 2 with 4.7 and 5.5 and people are like ooooh... Apple had a headstart with iOS but now they are behind Android. Apple used to be the designer tech. It was all about that but now after stevie is dead it's just after money and nothing else. Not making history anymore...

posted on Aug 07, 2014, 4:54 AM 0

21. rob5150

Posts: 182; Member since: Oct 31, 2011

There is not one piece of official evidence of anything iphone6 released by Apple. Has there been any official apple announcement? No. So how then is the alpha a copy of the iphone6?

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 6:23 AM 0

12. willard12 unregistered

Widgets, notifications, command center....I'm sure it's different somehow when Apple adopts those versus a ring that's been around every watch since the 1700s and other phones before it. Just wow.

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:30 PM 3

13. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

Lol damn, you are one distracted mofo! We're talking hardware vs hardware and in comes the class idiot (who sadly thinks he's being clever) talking about android vs iOS 8, completely taking away from the discussion. How about we stick to the topic, aye? I think it goes without saying but wow, just wow.

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 11:43 PM 1

15. willard12 unregistered

Oh, I thought the article was about patent battles. The last law suit (mentioned in the article) included 5 SOFTWARE features, 4 from Android. But hey, we can just discuss the irrelevant and idiotic things you like.

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 12:01 AM 2

17. E.N.

Posts: 2610; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

Well considering the article clearly mentions an end to various patent disputes and also mentions the $930 million awarded to Apple, which included a number of DESIGN patents, I think we're pretty much on topic, ESPECIALLY considering the fact that Samsung may be infringing on the SAME EXACT design patents which might make celebration over an ending some patent disputes premature. This is about Samsung vs. Apple, not widgets and command center. Are you following now? "But hey, we can just discuss the irrelevant and idiotic things you like" - judging from your comment 14 versus my comment 8, I think you're just a wee bit more invested in these irrelevant and idiotic convos than I am.

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 12:35 AM 0

23. willard12 unregistered

We can do whatever it takes for you to deflect from the "good artist's" slavish copying. Rather than simply addressing the facts as laid out, simply reply, "we're not talking about Apple's copying, just Samsung's use of metal." That way, you don't have to acknowledge that you are a complete hypocrite. Just practice avoidance and you never have to try to put up a moronic defense of the indefensible.

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 9:23 AM 0

18. kevin91202

Posts: 640; Member since: Jun 08, 2014

the iSh33p has spoken.

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 12:43 AM 0

3. AlbertAribe

Posts: 168; Member since: Jun 21, 2014

Oh yeah! Some profit for Samsung will goes to their attorny and to Apple to pay the damaged.

posted on Aug 05, 2014, 10:54 PM 0

16. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

They both have a new enemy by the name of XiaoMi. Lol!

posted on Aug 06, 2014, 12:25 AM 0

24. Taters

Posts: 6474; Member since: Jan 28, 2013

Why would Samsung do that? They need to make up for that billion dollar loss somewhere and that won't be happening in the states. Should have at least left the South Korea lawsuits going.